The Best Treks in Nepal for Beginners
For less experienced hikers and families with young children, Nepal Visitors suggest some easier treks to do in Nepal.
The Himalayan country Nepal offers a wide variety in terms of trekking and has something for everyone. the trek routes are easy to navigate and can be done within a short period of time. Trekking in Nepal for beginners is less difficult but equally exciting and fun. Every hiking destination offers a jaw-dropping view of snow-capped mountains, stunning forest trails, and sociable people.
Let’s help you with a snapshot overview of what’s likely the best treks in Nepal for beginners. At least, they are currently the most popular easy treks in Nepal, based on number of trekkers.
Every year Nepal attracts +200,000 trekkers. That also means that every year +200,000 people are faced with the hard choice of selecting which trekking destination to explore in Nepal. Let’s face it. You don’t need to be a hardcore climber to experience the county’s breathtaking heights.
Granted that as a beginner you won’t be summiting Nepal’s majestic mountains anytime soon, but there’s nothing to stop you from exploring trails that lie in the foothills of these seven and eight-thousanders. With a little determination, you too can follow in the footsteps of mountaineering greats.
Well, if you are a complete beginner, first you need to understand the difference between hiking vs trekking. To put it simply, hiking is a single day leisure activity that involves walking on organized trails while trekking is a bit more rigorous multi-day activity that involves a lot more than walking.
Hopefully this easy treks in Nepal crash-course will assist you further with selecting your favorite trekking destination.
Panchase Trek – 4 day
The Panchase trek is an off the beaten path 4-day hike through the rural areas and lush green forest in the Annapurna region. It is a moderately difficult trek with the highest point at 2500m which means no prior acclimatization is needed. The Panchase trek offers beautiful scenery and an authentic experience of staying with locals. This hike is a great option to do as an acclimatization hike before doing more challenging treks in the region like the Annapurna Circuit or Annapurna Base Camp.
Panchase trek is a pretty short and easy camping trip which lies in the west of Pokhara. This is a wonderful trek in Nepal which starts and ends in the attractive ‘City of Lakes’ Pokhara. This trail is another great Himalayan trek for beginners, and only requires a few hours of walking each day which will leave you plenty of time to explore the Nepalese way of life in the local villages.
Panchase Trek Route Overview
Distance – 44,5 km/27,6 mi
Time required – 4 days
Starting point – Pokhara, Lakeside.
Finishing point – Kande (the trek can be done either way)
Highest point – Panchase peak (2500m)
Total elevation gain (over 3 days) – 2762m
Total elevation loss (over 3 days) – 1834m
Accommodation – tea houses/home-stays
Food – momos, chapati, rice, dal
Panchase Trek Highlights
- Short and easy trek for beginner, family group etc.
- Crossing the Phewa lake by boat and exploring peace pagoda stupa along the way
- Hiking on Panchase hill and exploring stunning views of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Fishtail, Lamjung Himal, Mardi Himal, Manaslu and many more unnamed peaks surroundings with beautiful sun rise
- Less crowded and newly opened trekking route
- Great opportunity of observing local lifestyle, unspoiled culture, homestay etc.
Panchase Trek Itinerary
Day 01: Take a boat to cross Phewa Lake then trek to Bhumdi
Day 02: Trek to Panchase Hill
Day 03: Trek to Australian camp
Day 04: Trek to Phedi and back to Pokhara.
Panchase Trek Cost
In Nepal Trekking for 4 days can cost $350+ pp. This includes a guide, meals and accommodation. This is also expensive considering the type of accommodation and effort involved. If you can wrangle this price for two people then it’s a little better.
The Royal Trek – 4 days
This trail gots its moniker after Prince Charles trekked along this route when he visited Nepal in the 1980s, it is also often used by Nepalese royalty. This trail snakes through the foothills of Annapurna just north of Pokhara valley and is easily accessible thanks to its proximity to the city. Despite being close to the city, it is still one those routes considered relatively off the beaten path, and perfect for trekkers that are looking to escape the crowds and craving a more local experience.
Although it’s short in length, the Royal Trek delivers big time on iconic mountain scenery. You’ll have a clear view of the Annapurna mountain range which includes Langtang Mountain and Machapuchhre. This trail is also perfect for beginners that don’t fancy camping; there are teahouses throughout the trail.
The Royal Trek Route Overview
Distance – 50 km/33 mi
Time required – 4 days
Starting point – Pokhara, Lakeside.
Finishing point – Begnas Lake
Highest point – Syaklung (1730 m)
Total elevation gain (over 4 days) – 1730m
Total elevation loss (over 4 days) – 1370m
Accommodation – tea houses/home-stays
Food – momos, chapati, rice, dal
The Royal Trek Highlights
- Prince Charles has done this Trek.
- Complete Spectacular Annapurna (8,091m) and Machhapuchhre (Fish Tail) 6,993m.
- Rhododendron forests (Nepal national flower)
- Highest ccess of trek Chisapani 1,520m.
- Aryan, Gurung and Magar Culture.
- Beautiful Gurung Community village.
The Royal Trek Itinerary
Day 1: Pokhara to Kalikasthan 30 Min Drive 5
Day 2: Trek from Kalikasthan to Syaklung (1,760m) 5 Hrs
Day 3: Trek Syaklung to Chisapani (1,550m) 5 to 6 hrs.
Day 4: Trek to Begnas Lake and return to Pokhara
Royal Trek Cost
In Nepal Trekking for 4 days can cost $385+ pp. This includes a guide, meals and accommodation. This is also expensive considering the type of accommodation and effort involved. If you can wrangle this price for two people then it’s a little better.
Annapurna Community Eco-Lodge Trek – 5 days
A lot of novice trekkers make the mistake of choosing the popular three to five-day Poon Hill trek, and while it is one of the gentler climbs in the region, there are hundreds of steps to tackle on the first day which can prove to be quite challenging and leave your legs beyond sore for the rest of your trip. A better choice for those without calves of steel is the nearby Annapurna Community Eco-Lodge Trek.
You’ll still get incredible views, but you can ditch the crowds and the steps. Some of the peaks you’ll see include Machhapuchchhre, Annapurna, and Dhaulagiri. People on the trail usually rest up in homestays or lodges.
This trek is a model of a public-private partnership for the sustainable development of the village communities that lie along this trail. The trek helps to support the community in a real sense, ensuring most of the economic benefit stays with the local people.
Annapurna Community Eco-Lodge Trek Highlights
- Knowledge the unique lifestyle of the mountain people.
- Authentic and untouched environment, few other tractors
- Possibility to visit a number of community projects along the way.
- Fantastic panoramic view from Mohara Hill (3300 metres) of the Annapurna mountains: magnificent view of the Dhaulagiri and the Macchapucchre (Fishtail)
Annapurna Community Eco-Lodge Trek Itinerary
Day 01: Drive from Pokhara to Galeshwor (1,170m/3,838ft), trek to Bans Kharka (1,525m/5,002ft)
Duration: 3 hours drive and 3-4 hours trek
Day 02: Trek to Nagi (2,230m/7,315ft)
Walking distance: 6-7 hours trek
Day 03: Trek to Mohare Danda (3,300m/10,824ft)
Walking distance: 6-7 hours trek
Day 04: Trek to Ghorepani (2,874m/9,429ft)
Walking distance: 4-5 hours trek
Day 05: Trek to Tadapani (2,600m/8,530ft)
Walking distance: 5-6 hours trek
Day 06: Trek to Kimche (1,610m/5,281ft) drive to Pokhara (800m/2,625ft)
Duration: 3 hours trek and 2:30 hours drive
Annapurna Community Eco-Lodge Trek Cost
In Nepal Trekking for 4 days can cost $485+ pp. This includes a guide, meals and accommodation. This is also expensive considering the type of accommodation and effort involved. If you can wrangle this price for two people then it’s a little better.
Langtang Valley Trek – 08 Days
The Langtang trek is one of the shorter hiking routes in Nepal. It offers fantastic scenery from the jungle with banana trees and monkeys at lower altitudes to glaciers and ice peaks at higher elevations. Short doesn’t mean easy the route is quite challenging from the beginning with many long and steep ascents which is a typical thing for trekking in Nepal.
Langtang Valley Trek offers a majestic view of mountains with panoramic landscapes. It is the top 3 most visited trekking destinations in Nepal alongside Everest Base Camp Trek and Annapurna Base Camp Trek.
Langtang Valley is a hidden gem with a wild rural landscape, and most of the people follow the Tibetan Culture. Moreover, in a peak season, you can get spectacular views of pine forest, rhododendron, snow-capped mountains, magnificent glaciers, etc.
Highlights of the Langtang Valley Trek
- Nearest and Easiest trek from Kathmandu Valley
- Trek through the Langtang Valley, also referred to as the ‘valley of glaciers.
- Climb Tserko Ri for its stunning scenic views.
- Be amazed by the bird’s eye view of snow-capped mountains like Langtang Ri, Langtang Himal, Langsisa and Ganjala Peak.
- Experience Tibetan Buddhist culture and life first hand.
- Walkthrough spectacular rhododendron forests.
- Collect blessings at old Buddhist shrines like Langtang Gompa and Kanjanjin Gompa.
- Stay in interesting teahouses along the route.
- One of the lesser-known treks in Nepal.
Langtang Valley Trek Itinerary
Day 01: Drive from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi 7-8 hrs
Day 02: Trek from Syabrubesi to Lama Hotel 6 hrs
Day 03: Trek to Mundu via Langtang village 6-7 hrs
Day 04: Mundu to Kyangjin Gompa 4-5 hrs
Day 05: Acclimatization- Explore Tserko Ri 7-8 hrs
Day 06: Trek Kyangjin Gompa to Lama Hotel 6-7 hrs
Day 07: Trek Lama Hotel to Syabrubesi 4-5 hrs
Day 08: Drive Syabrubesi to Kathmandu 7-8 hrs
Langtang Valley Trek Cost
Langtang trek cost is depended upon the duration of your trek and how many days you will spend in the mountain. Generally, for 5 Days Langtang trek cost it might be cost you 600$ more or less
Chisapani Nagarkot Hike – 03 Day
This is one of the best treks in Nepal for beginners. Chisapani Nagarkot Trek is a short and sweet trip of 3 days tea house trek around Kathmandu. The trip starts with a short drive to Sundarijal, a popular hangout and busy picnic spot in the north of Kathmandu. Falling inside the boundaries of Shivapuri National Park, this is a place of cool shades, tall trees, beautiful streams and serene atmosphere — all in striking contrast to the noise and crowd of the city.
Leaving aside a few settlements on the way, the hike trail passes through forest to Chisapani, the destination of the first day. Chisapani is a mixed settlement of Brahmins, Gurungs, and Sherpas. The village also commands a beautiful view of the large section of the Himalayan range, which emits an ethereal glow in the setting sunlight. All along the forest through Shivapuri National Park with only occasional settlements, we reach Nagarkot
Highlights of the Chisapani Nagarkot Trek
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- Nearest and Easiest trek from Kathmandu Valley
- Great for those with less time or who want a weekend get-away
- Trek begins in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park
- Hike through forests
- Visit the hill station of Nagarkot
- Stunning sunrise view of 8 out of 13 of the Himalaya ranges from your breakfast table
- Visit the temple of Changu Narayan
Chisapani Nagarkot Trek Itinerary
Day 01: Drive to Sundarijal and Hike to Chisapani; 5 hours’ hike
Day 02: Hike to Nagarkot from Chisapani; 7 hours’ hike
Day 03: Hike from Nagarkot to Changunarayan and Drive to Kathmandu
What do you need for trekking in Nepal?
Nepal is tailor-made for hikers and trekkers, and as such the infrastructure is pretty fantastic, so all you need to do is fly in with your gear, arrange a permit and start walking.
